Welcome to THE EVERYDAY LIVES OF THE FRENCH IMPRESSIONISTS.
I am the author of CLAUDE and CAMILLE: A NOVEL OF MONET, the story of the young Claude Monet in his struggling years and his passionate love for his elusive muse Camille. The Boston Globe called it, "AN ENTHRALLING STORY, BEAUTIFULLY TOLD."
This blog shares stories about him, his world, and his fellow impressionists, most of which you never knew. Come visit! People who love Impressionism have visited from all around the world.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

On visiting the Metropolitan Museum exhibition The Origins of Impressionism fifteen years ago (which was the original inspiration of my novel Claude & Camille: a novel of Monet), I must confess that the painting I fell in love with was an early Monet but the painter I felt I had to know was Frédéric Bazille, the tall medical student from Montpellier who had to paint, who was brilliant, charming, the best of friends and rather self-effacing. He came from a wealthy family and when his friends Renoir, Cézanne, Pissarro, and Claude Monet needed a place to paint or sleep, he gave away every corner of his floor. In one letter when away from the studio he wrote Renoir to search Frédéric's bedroom drawer for Frédéric's pocket watch and pawn it.

We have a great many of the letters he wrote home to his parents whose financial support he needed through his 20s as he made nothing from his art and after what was obviously evasions and lies (how many time could he tell his parents that his medical exams were yet again postponed which was why he hadn't exactly passed them!), he fell happily into a full time life in the arts. He was an excellent amateur actor and playwright, a passionate classical pianist, and the world's best friend. He did not live very long and the others mourned him forever. For a time he was the main character in my novel until Monet took over and then Camille.

This photograph was taken when he was about 24 years old; at that time he was modeling for Monet as a favor and painting at his side, but his style was really not impressionism. It was a gorgeous style just his own and he had hardly begun to develop it when his years were ended. I felt from the first time I saw his picture that I loved him.

CLAUDE & CAMILLE: a novel of Claude Monet

About Me

I am the author of CLAUDE AND CAMILLE: A NOVEL OF MONET (Crown, April 2010) as well as MARRYING MOZART, NICHOLAS COOKE, THE PLAYERS, and THE PHYSICIAN OF LONDON. My novels have won an American Book Award, been translated into many languages, optioned for a film and chosen for the History Book Club. I was born in New York City and have lived here all my life though family and passion draw me Europe often. I am an Anglo/Catholic (high Episcopalian) who meditates and practices yoga and reiki. I am happily married to a reiki practitioner and have two grown sons.
For information on novels, see http://www.stephaniecowell.com